In the bakery

One of our friends from church, Ronnie, owns a bakery with his brother, who is a bread maker by trade.   It's just a few blocks from us in an affluent (more of less) part of the city.   Another friend, Kenneth, is working for him and is in charge of managing all aspects of the business.  Because the business is new and small, with only one location, Kenneth decided to try to negotiate a contract with a newly opened convenience store.  Success--as of last week, the store began selling their breads and pastries.  

Beyond this, Kenneth also wants to do something that will differentiate their bakery from the myriad of other bakeries here in the city.  He talked with me about whether I had any recipes that they might try.  He was specifically looking for some different types of cookies, healthy muffins and other kinds of sweet breads.   Friday we had a baking day here in my kitchen!  He left with a loaf of poppy seed bread, healthy whole wheat blueberry muffins and craisin oatmeal cookies.  He shared the samples with Ronnie and his brother and said that they both loved them.  For now, he is going to start the search for the ingredients, which will likely be no small task.  For example, we don't know if he can find poppy seeds and I've never seen applesauce (it's a main ingredient for the muffins), except snack size with sugar and/or cinnamon. 

We've got another baking sample day planned soon.  They would like to have 2-3 healthy muffin options so next time we'll be making carrot/apple muffins and whole wheat banana muffins.  We're also thinking about some good bar recipes and maybe peanut butter cookies and a chocolate, chocolate chip cookie.  We'll see . . . sounds like fun to me.

Stay tuned and I'll keep you posted on whether or not these goodies end up in the bakery!

  

Antigua Visit

When ever we go to Guatemala, we always go to Antigua to visit with our friends (Spanish teachers.)  This time was no different--we left on Monday morning after breakfast at Capistrano's (see previous post) and arrived about 10:30.  Corina and her family were all at home so we drove straight to Pastores (about 5 miles north east of Antigua.)  The girls go to school in the afternoon, so we were able to see everyone.  We were so glad that we decided to come in the morning or we would have missed seeing the girls.  

They showed us room that was built by volunteers from a Baptist church in Antigua.  Before this, all six of them slept in the same room.  Now the girls have their separate room.  

Corina and her family, minus Melany

Nancy, our other teacher, was working with a student in the morning, so she couldn't come by until after lunch time.  It was great to catch up with everyone!   Gaby didn't have school at all, so Stephen gave her a basketball shooting lesson.

We left about 1:30 and made a stop in Antigua to buy olive bread at the "best" bakery in town (according to Rosemary and the line of people that were there.)  

Luisa Xicotencatl's Bakery/Cake Shop

Stephen likes to take pictures of doors/windows.